UK-based World of Warcraft esports organization Method announced Tuesday that it has hired Joel Holmes-Darby as its new general manager, effective immediately.
Holmes-Darby comes from London-based EXCEL, where he returned to the company for eight months as its chief people officer, handling human resources, and talent recruitment and acquisition strategies. Prior to that, he worked for more than a year at Gfinity Esports as the senior lead for its flagship esports broadcast show, The Gfinity Elite Series. In 2014, he joined EXCEL as its managing director, a position he held for more than three years.
Method is rebuilding internally after a tumultuous 2020 filled with accusations made against certain players and management of sexual abuse, sexual assault, misconduct, and the resulting loss of sponsors such as hardware maker MSI. In the announcement, Holmes-Darby acknowledges that “Method, as a brand has achieved many impressive feats in the past and over the last six months, has put significant work into rebuilding the organization internally.” He adds that “they” have “learned from their mistakes, and in doing so have paved the way for an improved version of the organization that can thrive in 2021 and beyond.”
